Katie Couric hasn’t even appeared on-air as CBS’ new lead anchor and she’s already helping the network make history. CBS has just announced that it will become the first network to simulcast its evening news broadcast online, starting on the night of Couric’s debut as anchor September 5th.
This is big news in the world of broadcast journalism as all of the networks have aggressively pushed their newscasts onto the Web over the past couple of years. They have been almost forced to do so since the audience for evening newscasts has plummeted in recent years.
The idea to simulcast the news is not new. ABC streams a version of “World News” to an Internet audience in the mid-afternoon. Meanwhile, NBC replays “Nightly News” each night at 10:30 p.m. ET, after it is shown on television throughout the country. The reason the other networks didn’t push as hard to simulcast their newscasts is simply a matter of numbers. The concern among network affiliates is that Web simulcasts would slice into their TV audiences – making their advertising time less valuable.
CBS reached a deal with its affiliates by arguing that the program will reach a different audience online. They used their simulcast of this year’s NCAA basketball tournament as an example. According to CBS executives, television ratings for the first few days of the tournament went up this year even though CBS showed the games on the Web at the same time. Network executives say the online simulcast caters to people who work late at the office or commute with a laptop who might want to be filled in on the day’s news.
If you would like to watch the Web simulcast you will have to pre-register online. CBS has mandated that viewers do so in order to prevent people in later time zones from watching the news before it is broadcast in their area.
In addition to the simulcast CBS is also debuting a new Web log entitled, “Couric & Company,” that will include written and video contributions about the news from CBS reporters and Couric herself.
Related Articles: